Process of recovering caffein.



l.. FNTANELLI. PROCESS UF RECUVERING CAFFEIN. APPLICATION m50 Aue.21,191.

Patented July Hi, 19Mj L .Fon Z'a, dell UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

LUIGI FONTANLLI, F FERRARA, ITALY.

PROCESS 0F RECOVERING CAFFEIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1918.

Application mea August 27,1917. serial No: 138,501.

is a speci cation.

Thel present invention constitutes a process for the recovery of ca`ein from the resi dues or soot deposits which have formed or collected in the fines of apparatus in which coffee is roasted.

According to the present invention the process consists of extracting catfein from the said deposits,during which recess the eafen is vola-tilized into a mov ng current of air or other gas which is substantially iuert,. as regards catfein at the temperature employed, and from which gas current thc caffein is subsequently condensed or deposited, the operation accordingly being one of sublimation of the calfein.

The operation can be carried out'in any suitable sublimation a paratus, capable of being worked within'tiie required limits ot' temperature.

In the annexed drawing I have shown one form of` apparatus for vcarrying out the processes.

Figure 1 iS a front view of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a vertical, longitudinal section on in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail figure.

As may be seen from the drawing, the illustrative apparatus comprises an am le chamber 0r furnace 1 fitted with adjustn lc gas burners 2, which might be replaced by electric resistances or other equivalent heat-l ing means; a chamber 3 which may be of less height than the furnace chamber, open at both ends, in which is arranged a horizon tally slidable plate or tray 4 containing the abovesaid soot-products of coffee-roasting, which however might also be replaced by coffee itself or conce-waste of low commercial value; a smoke}discharge pipe 5, which may be ledto a dryin or concentrating box for the purpose of ryin 'the sublimated product orconcentrating t e mother liquor.

The `chambers 1 and 3 are fitted with a door 6 shutting ott' air and only letting in a small air amount through holes 7 provided in it. Thechamber 3 thus worksas a retort or distillation oven; the products vaporized therein pass through the outlet 8 'into an ample condensing chamber 9 fitted with a chimney 10 and a regulating damper 15.

In order to facilitate the passage of the "olatilized products from chamber 3 to condensing chamber 9, a slow-ruuning fan is applied to the chimney 10.

The condensing chamber E) is fitted with a door 14. and with a removable box 11 the sides ot' which are made of wire-gauze as per detail Fig. il, and the chamber 9 also has horizontal wiresgauze partitions 12, for the purpose of retaining and solidifying the caifein vapors t'roiu chamber 3.

The wire-gauze partitions 12 are preferablyv made of unalterable wire, or of any wire whatever, provided it be plated, with an unalteiible metal such as for instance nickel or platinum. 125 isa layer of non-c'oiulucting material such as tiret-lay for instance. p

The saine apparatus can obviously be udvantageously used with other material rontaining cali'ein to be recovered. lt will also be seen that several such apparatus could be connected with one another iu serios, the output being thus intensified willi a still more economical industrial result.

I claim: p

1. A process of separating cali'ein from solid nniterial containing the same, which process comprises heating the rali'eina-ontaining material in a restricted current. of gaseous medium, to a temperature capable of-vaporizing the caltein, and condensing the vaporized catfein from the current of gaseous medium.l

2. A process of obtaining calicn from the soot produced in the roasting of coli'ce,

which comprises heating said soot in a restricted current of a gaseous medium, there after cooling' the gaseous medium carrying" the vaporizcd catlein and condensing the cati'ein therefrom.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nameto this specification.

. Dn. LUIGI FONTANELLI. 

